Started by a father and step-mother, Rachel’s Challenge is a collection of educational programs intended to encourage school staff and students to create more compassionate and caring school environments. In the Fall, at one elementary school, for example, parents, staff, and students attended seminars and signed a banner to kick off the initiative. Since then, the school principal has continued to support it with messages and activities designed to promote acceptance of others and to celebrate acts of kindness. This will continue for the entire school year and hopefully beyond as the school embraces the challenge of improving its culture of tolerance and kindness. Strategies for middle schools and high schools are also available with messaging and activities scaled to meet the social-emotional development levels of the children.
“More than 21 million people have been touched by Rachel's message, and they continue the legacy of making a difference in their communities. Each year at least 2 million more people are added to that number. These are just a couple of the results of Rachel's Challenge. In one survey, 78% of students indicated they would definitely intervene in a bullying incident in their school after seeing Rachel's Challenge. In the last 3 years, Rachel’s Challenge has received nearly 500 unsolicited emails from students stating that after hearing Rachel’s story they reached out for help as they were contemplating suicide. Some even state that ‘Rachel saved their life.’
17 year old Rachel Scott was the first student killed at Columbine High School in 1999. Rachel left a legacy of reaching out to those who were different, who were picked on by others, or who were new at her school. Rachel's Challenge is a non-profit, non-political, non-religious organization based in Littleton, Colorado.”
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